YOUR INNER ALLY --- CULTIVATING A LOVE YOU CAN DEPEND ON

posted Jul 16, 2013, 9:53 AM by Sheri Perl

We all know that even with
the best intentions, the sincerest prayers and the most careful planning, that
nothing is guaranteed to us. Any of us who have been to the funeral of one or
more of our children know that things can happen in this life that bring
enormous suffering. Whether you believe the cause to be an act of God, a “soul
choice” or just your rotten luck, the suffering is unavoidable and your
challenge will be to find a way to live with it.

Whether your losses are
related to loved ones, finances or health, no one likes loss and although we
are told that there is a great lesson to be learned from suffering, we would
all gladly pass on the experience. However, when you open your front door to
find loss in any form waiting there to greet you, you have no choice but to
face it and all that comes with it.

These things do happen, so
I am not talking about finding a way to avoid them. But there is one area where
you can create some wiggle room for yourself and that has everything to do with
how you meet, greet and treat yourself as you face the day-to-day events of
your life.

YOUR INNER ALLY —-
CULTIVATING A LOVE YOU CAN DEPEND ON —- THE WORKBOOK

STEP ONE —- The Question

(If possible purchase a
journal or find some paper. To fulfill all the steps in The Inner Ally Program,
it will be helpful to have something to write on).

The first step in The
Inner Ally Program is to spend some time pondering the following question:

In the midst of a problem,
would you say that you are a warm, compassionate ally to yourself, a harsh
critic or something in between?

Think back to your
responses to yourself when you have been in difficult situations in your
life. Write down what comes to mind in terms of the kind of voice and
attitude that surfaces in you when you are frightened or upset. Would you
describe the inner voice you hear as a friend, a foe or something in between.

This is very important, so
take your time. You don’t have to show this to anyone, so be honest with
yourself because nothing can be changed until it is seen. The first step to
making any change in ourselves comes from introspection and insight.